HPCC to install statues of Rajiv
at 10 places
Chandigarh, June 3
Mr Ram Prakash, working president of the Haryana unit of the Congress, today announced that the HPCC would install the statues of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at 10 different places in the state.

Farmers, staff oppose sugar mill closure
Bhuna (Fatehabad), June 3
Local farmers and employees of the cooperative sugar mill situated here are up in arms against the state government for its move to close down the mill. The employees’ union and the local chapter of the All-India Kisan Sabha have decided to oppose any such move.

School staff oppose merger move
Ambala, June 3
Teachers and staff of Government High School, main branch, Ambala cantonment have strongly opposed a proposal to merge them with Senior Secondary School which is running from the same compound.

Panipat power plant headless
Panipat, June 3
When the state is undergoing an acute shortage of electricity, scores of posts at Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTP), including that of chief engineer, are lying vacant. Works related to operations and administration have reportedly come to a virtual halt.

Concern over rising crime in Rewari
Rewari, June 3
While criminals are virtually having a field day in Rewari district, victimised families and others continue to suffer. Poor functioning of the police department has come in for sharp criticism from people and politicians alike.

Haryana Addnl Advocate General
Chandigarh, June 3
Mr Ashish Kapoor, a practising lawyer of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has been appointed Additional Advocate-General by the Haryana Government.

TRIBUNE IMPACT
Admn swings into action
on safety measures
Panipat, June 3
Acting promptly on The Tribune story on the Fun Fair-2006, the district administration has constituted a team of officials to ensure fire safety at the fair venue.

Chandigarh, June 3
Mr Ram Prakash, working president of the Haryana unit of the Congress, today announced that the HPCC would install the statues of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at 10 different places in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Ram Prakash said the statues would be installed at Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal, Jind, Rewari, Taoru, Nuh, Ballabgarh, Faridabad and Sirsa. Rajiv Gandhi had visited these places in 1991 to address election rallies. “This will be our homage to the great leader,” Mr Ram Prakash said, adding that the Congress MPs and MLAs representing these areas had been asked to extend help in installing the statues.

The Opposition INLD has, however, alleged that the decision to install Rajiv Gandhi's statues is a move by “one faction” within the state Congress to please the AICC chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi.

Mr Ram Prakash also announced that the HPCC would organise functions on December 28 in memory of the late Lala Murlidhar, a native of Ambala, who was one of the pioneers of the Congress.The HPCC would also organise functions at 150 places in Haryana next year to mark the 150th anniversary of the 1857 revolt.

Responding to a question, Mr Ram Prakash said the Congress was committed to its pre-poll promise of setting up a separate Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for Haryana.

The HPCC working president also talked about the slump in the procurement of wheat by the official agencies this year.He said private traders purchased about 20 per cent of the total market arrivals of wheat because there was no limit on their purchase.

He urged the government to fix private purchase to a certain limit to prevent an escalation in the price of the grain.

He said the Centre's decision to import wheat also prompted bulk buying by traders as it triggered off speculation in the market. He said online trading in wheat and pulses should be stopped during the first five days of the week.

Bhuna (Fatehabad), June 3
Local farmers and employees of the cooperative sugar mill situated here are up in arms against the state government for its move to close down the mill. The employees’ union and the local chapter of the All-India Kisan Sabha have decided to oppose any such move.

While the authorities maintain that heavy losses to the tune of Rs 200 crore had necessitated the sale of the mill, the kisan sabha alleges that the losses were due to mismanagement on part of the authorities and rampant corruption in the purchase of machinery for the mill.

The farmers, who had grown sugarcane on nearly 5,000 acres of land on a favourable assurance by Sugarfed authorities, face heavy losses in the event of the closure of the mill. Moreover, the fate of nearly 700 employees working at the mill also hangs in balance.

The president of the sugar mill employees union, Mr Sahib Ram, told The Tribune that the state government had sent an assessment team to evaluate the plant machinery, store goods and the land on which the mill was located. He said a delegation of the employees’ representatives would soon meet the Chief Minister and try to resolve the matter.

Mr Ram Swaroop, president of the local unit of the kisan sabha, said if the government remained adamant on the decision to close down the mill, the sabha would stage a massive dharna on the sugar mill premises on June 21.

“This anti-farmer step of the Hooda government would be opposed tooth and nail and efforts to sell the mill to some private party would not be allowed to succeed at any cost,” he asserted.

Veteran Communist leader and Zila Parishad member Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria maintained that the mill was a cooperative body only in the name as it was being run as a government enterprise. “Hence, the government officials, and not the farmers or mill shareholders are responsible for the losses being incurred,” he said, adding that the state government should issue a White Paper in this regard.

On the other hand, the Rattia SDM, Mr H.C.Bhatia, who is also holding the charge of the Managing Director of the mill, said the decision to sell the mill had been taken due to the heavy losses being incurred. He pointed out that the sugarcane grown on nearly 5,000 acres was not enough to run the mill. Mr Bhatia, however, maintained that the interest of the employees would be kept in mind while taking any step in this regard.

In view of the volatile situation, a timely decision in the larger interest of the farmers and employees is must to prevent a possible showdown.

Ambala, June 3
Teachers and staff of Government High School, main branch, Ambala cantonment have strongly opposed a proposal to merge them with Senior Secondary School which is running from the same compound.

Cantonment MLA D.K. Bansal said he was aware of the matter. “I have already taken up this issue with the authorities concerned. Priority should be given to imparting proper education to the children,” he said.

Government High School was established in 1994 while Government Senior Secondary School moved into the same building in 1997. The senior secondary school was shifted out of its previous building as Government College was needed to be set up. Since then, the schools are running in two shifts. While the morning shift is Government High School, the second shift is of Government Senior Secondary School.

Staff of Government High School have made a representation to the District Education Officer demanding that their school should not be merged with the Government Senior Secondary School.

In the representation, the staff of Government High School, main branch, contend that their school and a primary school attached with it has 426 students on its roll while the number of students in Government Senior Secondary is less than half.

They suggest that students of Government Senior Secondary School could be easily accommodated in nearby schools. “The merger of schools will be against the educational interest of the students,” they said.

The staff also pointed out that the space in the school was not fit for a senior secondary school. “The Haryana Government rules for a Government Senior Secondary school states that there should be wide playground. But it is not available. So, the merger would lead to violation of rules,” they stated.

Panipat, June 3
When the state is undergoing an acute shortage of electricity, scores of posts at Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTP), including that of chief engineer, are lying vacant. Works related to operations and administration have reportedly come to a virtual halt.

Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that the posts chief engineer (one), senior engineer (10) and superintendent engineer (three) are lying vacant at the plant. Terming the situation worrisome, officials said this summer season was crucial in view of scarcity of power in the state. They lamented that the state government had been adopting an apathetic attitude towards the problem.

The plant is the largest power-generation thermal plant. Sources said absence of required officials was severely affecting functioning at the plant.

This is not for the first time that the state authorities had adopted an indifferent attitude in filling the top vacant posts of the state-run power-generation plants. The Tribune highlighted on April 5 the state of affairs at the plant when posts of chief engineer were lying vacant for weeks together both at Faridabad and Panipat power plants.

The sources alleged that political interference in the appointments at top posts had caused the delay in filling of the posts. According to reliable sources, one of the former chief engineers at Panipat was related to a senior Congress minister and the latter had lobbied to appoint him for the “plum post.”

The Haryana Power Utilities had failed to appoint any official as chief engineer when Mr R.D. Gupta retired on May 31 as chief engineer (operations and maintenance).

The sources confirmed that as per the trend the posts were filled on the basis of the promotions from within the plant.

Two posts of senior engineer had been lying vacant since April when Mr R.D. Gupta and the present chief engineer of the Panipat plant, Mr Y.N. Chug, were elevated to the top posts. Similarly, after another senior engineer, Mr Rajan Guglani, who superannuated on April 30, the authorities did not fill the vacant post.

Talking to The Tribune, the president of the All-Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union, PTP, Mr Jagpal Singh Sangwan, blamed the state authorities for delay in filling senior posts. He has demanded for a policy to ensure that such prime offices are not left vacant even for a day.

Rewari, June 3
While criminals are virtually having a field day in Rewari district, victimised families and others continue to suffer. Poor functioning of the police department has come in for sharp criticism from people and politicians alike.

Incidents of murder and robbery in the district during the past few days are mind boggling.

In the latest incident, a young woman Sushma (22), along with her 15-month-old daughter Khushi, was allegedly strangled to death by her husband in Ajay Nagar here on Thursday. The accused reportedly fled after committing the crime.

The deceased, who had strained relations with her husband Yogender, had been living separately in a rented accommodation in the vicinity of her parental house in Ajay Nagar here. She was employed in a factory at Manesar near Gurgaon.

Her husband Yogender, a resident of Riwasa village near Mahendergarh, made a sudden appearance yesterday. It is stated that he had an altercation with his wife Sushma, following which the mother daughter duo was done to death.

On a complaint lodged by Sanjay, brother of the deceased, the city police registered a case of murder against Yogender, who is absconding.

In the second incident of murder, Ashok Kumar (24), a petty shopkeeper of Rampura village, near here, was done to death by unknown assailants who then threw his body in a village pond late on Monday night. The body, after being spotted by the villagers, was recovered by the police from the pond on Tuesday morning. On a complaint filed by Mr Om Prakash, brother of the deceased, the police registered a case of murder under Sections 302, 201 of the IPC.

In another incident of robbery, armed youths reportedly looted a gold chain, ring and two cell phones from a local journalist, Mr Ramji Lal Kataria, after injuring him on Dharuhera-Rewari road near Phideri turn, about 4 km from here, on Tuesday night.

They also fired a pistol shot. The miscreants fled after committing the crime which was committed when the victims, along with two friends, were returning from Dharuhera in a car. Both the injured have been admitted to a private hospital here where they are stated to be out of danger.

The Sadar police has registered a case of robbery in this regard.

In another incident, thieves burgled the houses of Mr Nand Lal, Mr Tara Chand, Mr Brahm Prakash, Mr Pawan Kumar and Mr Ramavtar at Mandhiya Kalan village, about 5 km from here, on Tuesday night. They decamped with cash and ornaments worth lakhs of rupees. The booty included Rs 1.88 lakh in cash.

The model town police here has registered cases of burglary under Sections 457, 380 of the IPC in this regard.

In another incident of burglary, thieves broke into the house of Mrs Madhu Narula in Sector 3 here in broad daylight on Tuesday. They decamped with cash and ornaments worth about Rs 3 lakh. The house was locked as the inmates were away.

Ambala,
June 3
A court of inquiry has been initiated against an Army officer
from whose residence a large number of liqour bottles were seized.

An
Army officer said the seizure of liqour bottles had taken place in March
this year. The officer is of the rank of Lt-Col and is currently posted
in Ambala cantonment. Over 70 rum bottles were seized from his Staff
Road residence.

Certain other ration items were also seized during the
search of the officer’s residence. The search was carried out
following a tip-off about alleged irregularities.

This is not for the
first time that the Army authorities have carried out searches in an
effort to ensure that goods meant for the armed forces are not sold in
the open market. A couple of months ago, the army authorities had seized
CSD goods from a shop in the Lal Kurti area.